Communications networks provide voice and data communication between various types of computing devices including telephones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, smart phones, tablets, personal computers, data servers, content servers, web servers and other possible end points. To provide such connectivity, most communication networks include a plurality of network devices, such as switches, routers and servers, interconnected by transmission links. When a device is first installed in the network, it often requires some form of configuration. Over time and in order to ensure quality service, the various network devices may require repair, replacement, and/or reconfiguration.
When a communications network experiences interruption in service due to one or more problematic network devices, manual intervention by one or more system administrators is usually required to correct the problem. For example, a system administrator may monitor a communications network in an attempt to identify any failed network devices. When such a device is identified, the system administrator proceeds by manually attempting to perform any repair and/or replacement procedures necessary to restore the device.
Configuration management generally describes the process for establishing, maintaining consistency, and improving a network's performance throughout the network's life by way of managing the configurations of the various network elements. As with repairs, typically, system administrators have to manually intervene to configure and/or reconfigure network equipment. Such manual intervention by the system administrator is disruptive, time-consuming, expensive, and in some cases labor intensive It is with these observations in mind, among others, that various aspects of the present disclosure were developed.